An Ode To Waffles

Yep, this is a post about our new waffle maker. Take a look! The Calphalon No Peek Waffle Maker. Isn’t she pretty?

So, this is a $100 waffle maker. Buying an appliance with only one function for that much was not an easy decision. But here’s how we justified it:

• The most important: we knew we would use it. This wasn’t a, “Maybe we’d like waffles?” experiment. We knew we’d like waffles and we knew we’d use it.
• It makes four squares at a time. Once a batch is done, we eat! No waiting around for a single waffle, then having it cool off while the next one is made.
• It beeps when it’s preheated and when the waffles are done. That means I can do other things, like feed the dog and make coffee, without obsessively checking for a green “done” light.
• It’s square, so it tucks away neatly in the cabinet.
• We happened to have a 20% off coupon to Bed, Bath and Beyond, which took it down to about $85 after tax.

We’ve owned it for about a month now, so we’ve played around with it… a lot. The biggest lesson learned? Do not overfill! The mix will expand and come splurging out of the sides. This especially tends to happen with thicker mix. When I pour the mix in, I avoid the squares around the edge, which seems to be a good rule of thumb (see below).

I’ve used a few mixes as well. (I know, Mari. Box mixes, I should be ashamed!) Here’s an informal review of what we’ve tried.

• Bob’s Red Mill: Definitely the most healthy mix. The recipe calls for two eggs, two tablespoons of oil, a cup of mix and however much water you want. I like that you can adjust the batter thickness. This tends to make a perfect single batch for us, and of all the mixes, this bag lasts the longest.
• Krusteaz: For the smallest batch, this calls for 1 1/2 cup of mix, 3/4 cup of water, 1 egg and three tablespoons of oil. It makes about seven waffles, almost two full batches. Typical light and fluffy waffles, but can be a little floppy.
• Bellegem: This one is from Williams Sonoma. At $11.95, it’s more than twice what the others cost, and for less mix (1 lb 4 oz to Bob’s 1 lb 10 oz and Krusteaz 1 lb 12 oz). The waffles are on par with the Krusteaz, but slightly sweeter. The mix has a lot more “stuff” in it, so you only need to add melted butter and water – but it also asks you to wait 15 minutes after mixing before you pour. The recipe given on the canister makes a huge amount of waffles, so I cut it in half and it made six-seven waffle squares. These browned a lot more than the others and the batter was fairly thin. I mean, they’re good (they’re waffles!), but I wasn’t as impressed as I thought I’d be.
• From scratch: I made waffles from scratch once. Pretty sure it was this recipe. I think we ended up with like, 40 waffles? Haha. I kid, but we did have a lot. They were okay, but thicker and tougher. The best thing about that link is the critical reviews. Several people give their own tweaks to the recipe to make it healthier/fluffier/etc. Definitely something to play around with.

So, we’ve been eating a lot of waffles. I’m open to experimenting with more mixes, but I really like the Bob’s. It’s easier to justify eating waffles three times a week when they’re full of whole grains instead of enriched, bleached malted flour.

Oh! And a favorite tweak: adding blueberries. It seems like the key is to pour the mix in, then drop the berries on top. When they’re pre-mixed, they tend to sink to the bottom and the batches have an uneven berry spread. Unfortunately, the fruit sugars will caramelize on the waffle iron, so clean up is a little more involved. But the non-stick surface on this waffle maker is holding up nicely!

And here’s the finished product.

Obviously (obviously), maple syrup is the choice topping. And occasionally a dusting of powdered sugar. On this particular day, I made a mixed berry compote (put frozen berries in non stick pan, heat over medium high for 10 minutes or so, letting the juices melt and thicken up). Delicious.

What’s the best appliance or tool splurge in your kitchen?